5 Key Takeaways from the Weekend

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Parita

1. I’m a “cookieaholic.” In fact, after reading Dixya’s post about Lindsay’s cookies, I knew exactly what I had to do after work on Friday. Like literally the minute I stepped inside the apartment. I wasted no time whipping up a batch of these Peanut Butter Avocado cookies (trust me, you absolutely can’t taste the avocado). Let’s just say, I had no regrets!

2. My new colleague, Bhusha, is honestly one of the nicest people ever. We spent a good portion of the weekend together, and it truly felt like I was hanging out with one of my girlfriends. She has such a beautiful spirit. I already told her that come Friday, I’m going to cry. She thinks I’m kidding. Ha!

[Bhusha hates getting her picture taken so let’s pretend I was able to capture one of us together.]

3. I have another restaurant recommendation for y’all. Nexxt Café on Lincoln Mall Road is awesome. At first, I was a little nervous after seeing the extensive menu. There were easily 100+ different dishes listed. We ended up picking some winners…

Sweet corn tamales (YUM!)

Spinach artichoke dip

Eggplant sandwich

4. Gelato is the best thing ever. EVER. Gelateria 4-D (also on Lincoln Mall Road) has some delicious, super creamy gelato. A must try if you’re in South Beach.

5. I could get used to dinner views like this. Definitely.

What was a major highlight from your weekend?

Unexpectedly Good Masala Dosas

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Parita

On my way home from work on Wednesday, all I could think about was dinner and what I was going to make. Since Vishnu’s been spending his days and nights at the library, I’ve been doing my own thing most nights of the week. I had settled on making a quesadilla for dinner when much to my surprise, I found my hubby studying at home. Woo hoo!

Dinners together are rare right now, so I changed my mind about the quesadilla and decided to make an Indian meal. As I looked through our pantry, I found dosa (savory Indian crepe/pancake) and sambhar (a slightly spicy Indian soup) mixes hiding in the back. I called my mom to ask a couple of questions, and she reassured me that it would turn out just fine.

Before I share the details about how I pulled this all together, I want to say a few things about these mixes. First, most Indian grocers carry Gits brand products. And most major cities have at least one Indian grocery store. Just ask Google. Second, these mixes are not really healthy. About half way through, I looked at the ingredient lists and found things like partially hydrogenated vegetable oil shortening and butylated hydroxy anisole (a preservative). Not a fan of hydrogenated anything so that was a bummer. However, we do not eat Gits dosa and sambhar very often so I let it slide. And finally, using these mixes was not intimidating at all. It was honestly one of the easiest Indian meals I’ve ever made.

For the dosa mix, all I literally had to do was add water. That’s it. When actually cooking the dosa, I was extra careful to maintain an even layer of the mixture. Dosas are best when thin and crispy (in my opinion).

The sambhar was a little more involved. I had to add water AND chopped tomatoes..haha!

For the masala filling, I cooked a medium onion and a large sweet potato in coconut oil and added a bunch of spices (turmeric, mustard seeds, red chili pepper, cumin/coriander powder and salt). It turned out really well.

Leftover masala mixture

As I was plating everything, I realized that something was missing – a chutney (sauce)! I frantically called my MIL (she’s a dosa expert), and when she didn’t pick up, I called my mom (who also makes great dosas). She asked me what I had on hand and gave me a few ideas. I quickly mixed together some Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, coconut powder, salt, sugar, and red chili powder. I know this sounds strange, but it was perfect on top of the dosa. The cool yogurt complemented the masala and sambhar perfectly.

Side note: Vishnu didn’t like it, but only because he prefers his chutneys dairy-free.

I was so proud of myself when I took the first bite and realized that my dosa actually tasted good!

How I eat dosa: fill with masala, top with chutney, and dip in sambhar

I highly recommend visiting your local Indian store and picking up some different mixes. Who knows…you may end up with a delicious dinner!

Have you ever tried a masala dosa? What’s your favorite Indian dish?

A New Reason to Love Miami

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Parita

I have a love hate relationship with South Florida. I love the weather and the beaches. I hate the traffic and the way people drive. But overall, it’s starting to grow on me. It really is.

Over the weekend, while walking around South Beach, I realized why I really love Miami. It’s quite simple actually. When in Miami, people gain an extra ounce of confidence. And to clarify, I’m referring to outward confidence and appearance. It just seems to me that regardless of what people wear, they wear it with a sense of, “I like the way I look and couldn’t give a shit about what others think.”

Now, appropriate may not describe a lot of the outfits. And there have been times when I’ve had to look away. However, regardless of shape and size, people seem to embrace their bodies in Miami. And they wear that confidence like it’s nobody’s business!

It could just be that when people are walking the streets of Miami, they are preoccupied with having fun and enjoying the weather versus what they look like. It could also be that the heat and humidity forces people to dress a certain way. Whatever it is…I absolutely love it (most of the time)! It’s contagious in a way.

This may be a stretch, but when I think about all of the above, the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty immediately comes to mind.